


Together? Together.

by mediatrix_of_all_graces



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Also like my first fic ever, But fatherhood does that to a person, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Infinity War spoilers, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Peter is Tony's Biological Son, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IW, Tony is slightly ooc, What am I doing?, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediatrix_of_all_graces/pseuds/mediatrix_of_all_graces
Summary: Tony's been having nightmares. Luckily, Peter's there to help him.





	Together? Together.

_Peter. Peter stumbling forward into his arms. Peter begging for him to make it stop. “I don’t want to go, Dad.” Tony being utterly helpless._ _  
__  
__Peter disintegrating, slipping from his grasp, turning to dust between his own fingers._   
  
Tony awoke with a start, his breathing ragged and a cold sweat forming on his brow. He looked around his dark room, felt his expensive, silky sheets, and took slow, deep breaths. Home, he reminded himself.

  
It’s not like the nightmares were new. Tony had been having nightmares about Titan ever since he and Nebula returned to Earth, and they continued even after they and the very few remaining Avengers had defeated Thanos. Very rarely did the dreams differ. No, it seemed he was always watching his son’s last moments.

 

“FRIDAY, what time is it?” Tony asked.

  
“It is currently 2:37 in the morning, sir,” replied the voice in the ceiling.

  
Well, there was no use in trying to fall back asleep anyway, Tony thought. With a groan, he swung his feet over the side of the bed and padded over to the door and down the hallway.

 

Usually after Tony woke up like this, he’d kill time tinkering in his workshop or training in the gym before making breakfast for him and Peter before sending the younger Stark off to school for the day. This morning, though, he just couldn’t seem to shake the uneasy feeling last night’s terror had brought him.

  
Tony stopped at Peter’s room on the way, creaking the door open and peering through the small opening. Except, all he saw was his son’s empty bed. Panic began to seep back into Tony’s mind and his bones as he pushed the door open all the way.

  
“Peter?” he called out, the alarm evident in his wavering voice. He turned over Peter’s room, throwing back the boy’s covers and searching his private bathroom, but there was no sign of him.

 

Tony backed up until he hit the wall, sliding down to the floor. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the strands and gasping for air. “No,” he pleaded. _Not again._

 

“Sir?” asked FRIDAY. “It appears you are having a mild panic attack. I recommend you try to calm down before it gets worse.”

 

_God, when did FRIDAY become so insensitive?_ Tony wondered. He tried to reply with a witty retort, but all that came out was a desperate, “Where’s Peter?”

  
“Peter is currently in the lab.” Oh, thank Christ. Waves of relief washed over the man as he tried to slow his heart rate down a little.

 

“Should I inform him you are in distress?” the A.I. asked earnestly.

 

Tony sputtered. “What? No. FRIDAY, I’m fine. Honestly,” he said.

  
“Of course, Mr. Stark,” FRIDAY told him, and was it possible for   
Artificial Intelligences to sound sarcastic?

  
***

 

Peter swiveled around on his stool as the elevator door opened with a _ding_ and Tony stepped out.   
  
“Oh, hey dad,” Peter greeted. “Couldn’t sleep either? I was just working on a new formula for my webs if you wanted— Hmph!”   
  
He was cut off as Tony strode over and enveloped him in a tight hug. Truth is, Tony refused to completely calm down until he could hold his son, without feeling him slip away in his arms.   
  
Peter blinked, surprised. But he had recovered no more than a few seconds later, squeezing his father back twice as hard and murmuring words of comfort aloud.   


“Same one as usual?” he asked his dad. Tony nodded into the crook of his son’s neck.

  
“It’s okay. I’m here. We’re alive. We’re _safe_ ,” Peter reassured.   
  
Tony doesn’t know how long they stood there like that, with Peter continuing to rub soothing circles into his back. The simple touch reaffirming Tony that Peter was, in fact, alive.   
  
That he wasn’t fading away right before his father’s eyes.   
  
After what felt like forever, Tony pulled back, inhaling a shaky breath and blinking away unshed tears.   
  
“I’m sorry, kiddo. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. How’s that new formula coming?” he asked, but Peter saw right through him.

  
“Hey, wait. You always help me deal with all of my nightmares and my panic attacks. Why shouldn’t I help you?” Peter questioned.   
  
“Because I’m the adult, that’s why. Look Petey, it shouldn’t have to be your responsibility—“   
  
“But I want it to be.”   
  
“You can’t possibly know that for sure,” Tony argued.   
  
“I do. I’m positive,” said Peter. His father still looked unconvinced, though. He continued, “Look. It’s obvious we both need some outside help. _Professional_ help,” he clarified. “But, we were both there five months ago. On Titan. We can help each other.”   
  
Tony visibly flinched at the mention of the planet.   
  
“And I understand, probably better than anyone, what happened up there.”   
  
“No, you don’t,” Tony murmured, looking down at his hands.   


Peter blinked, incredulous. “What?”

 

“I said, you don’t understand.”

  
Newfound anger flared within the younger Stark. He glared at his father. “I don’t? What the hell do you mean I don’t understand? Dad, I _died_ !”   
  
“Yeah, Petey. You died. You died, and I had to watch. You turned to dust in my arms. I couldn’t save you,” Tony choked out, tears flowing freely now.   
  
Peter’s eyes softened. His anger dissipated as quickly as it came, and he pulled in Tony for another hug.

  
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But I’m here now. You did save me. You saved all of us, Dad.”   
  
“Thank you, Petey. But I don’t want you to be sorry. What you went through was awful and I never meant to imply that your trauma isn’t valid or as important as anyone else’s. Ok?” Peter nodded. “Promise me you’ll never think that.”

 

“I promise,” said Pete.

  
“Good. Guess we’ve still got some stuff to work through, huh?” asked Tony.

 

“Together?”

  
Tony saw that glint of determination back in his eyes, and he knew the kid wouldn’t take no for an answer.   
  
Hell, he knew he wouldn’t be able to say no in the first place.   
  
“Ok, kiddo. Together.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, so that was my first fic, huh? Personally, I thought it was shit, but I accepted that and now I'm actually kinda proud of it. So, what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Think I should toss my computer and all my ideas down the garbage disposal? Leave some feedback!
> 
> Kudos and comments are so, greatly appreciated!  
> <333, Lolita


End file.
